Franklin half dollars were struck from 1948 through 1963 and are one of the shorter-lived series of the 20th century. Designed by John R. Sinnock, the half dollar bearing one of America's most famous and beloved Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, is no doubt a popular coin. However, collecting the entire series by date and mintmark is an affordable objective, due mainly to the Franklin half dollar being a short-lived type with no truly rare regular issues. The fifty-cent piece pictures Founding Father Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse. A small eagle was placed to the right of the bell to fulfill the legal requirement that half dollars depict the figure of an eagle. Produced in 90 percent silver with a reeded edge, the coin was struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints.